Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a professional basketball league in the United States. It is currently composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA), and league play started in 1997. The regular season is played from May to September, with the All-Star game being played midway through the season in July (except in Olympic years) and the WNBA Finals at the end of September until the beginning of October.
Five WNBA teams have direct NBA counterparts and normally play in the same arena: the Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury.
Teams
The WNBA originated with 8 teams in 1997 and through a sequence of expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 12 teams. There have been a total of 18 franchises in WNBA history. As of the league's 2021 season, the Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury are the only remaining charter franchises.
Arenas listed below reflect those intended for use in the league's next season in 2022. These may be subject to change due to COVID-19.
| Team | City | Arena | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | |||
| Atlanta Dream | College Park, Georgia | Gateway Center Arena | 2008 |
| Chicago Sky | Chicago, Illinois | Wintrust Arena | 2006 |
| Connecticut Sun | Uncasville, Connecticut | Mohegan Sun Arena | 1999 |
| Indiana Fever | Indianapolis, Indiana | Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 2000 |
| New York Liberty | Brooklyn, New York | Barclays Center | 1997 |
| Washington Mystics | Washington, D.C. | Entertainment and Sports Arena | 1998 |
| Western Conference | |||
| Dallas Wings | Arlington, Texas | College Park Center | 1998 |
| Las Vegas Aces | Paradise, Nevada | Michelob Ultra Arena | 1997 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | Los Angeles, California | Crypto.com Arena | 1997 |
| Minnesota Lynx | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Center | 1999 |
| Phoenix Mercury | Phoenix, Arizona | Footprint Center | 1997 |
| Seattle Storm | Seattle, Washington | Climate Pledge Arena | 2000 |
See also
Seasons
| Women's National Basketball Association (2022) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | |||
| Atlanta Dream • Chicago Sky • Connecticut Sun • Indiana Fever • New York Liberty (Barclays Center) • Washington Mystics | |||
| Western Conference | |||
| Dallas Wings • Las Vegas Aces • Los Angeles Sparks (Crypto.com Arena) • Minnesota Lynx (Target Center) • Phoenix Mercury (Footprint Center) • Seattle Storm (Climate Pledge Arena) | |||
| Defunct franchises | |||
| Charlotte Sting • Cleveland Rockers • Houston Comets • Miami Sol • Portland Fire • Sacramento Monarchs | |||
| Related | |||
| League publications • All-Star Games • Seasons • Venues | |||
